1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device having multiple cleaning surfaces for safely and effectively cleaning forceps, bipolar and uni-polar cautery device tips.
2. Description of the Related Art
The problem of maintaining clean forceps and electrocautery device tips during surgery has persisted since the time of their development. Electrocautery devices assist the surgeon in maintaining a surgical field with limited bleeding thus limiting morbidity to the patient while also permitting safer technical performance of the procedure itself. Electrocautery devices function by creating a flow of current across tissue/blood and thereby leading to electro-thermal coagulation in the area of bleeding vessels or tissue. In order for current to flow across an electrocautery device, the tip of the device must be relatively free of clotted blood, tissue and other debris.
One approach to maintaining clean cautery tips during surgery has been to manually remove debris with a surgical sponge/pad. This is not only limited in its effectiveness but poses risks of contamination and injury to the surgical team when sharp cautery tips are employed (e.g. a needle tip as used in plastic surgery for small incisions). An additional limitation of such manual cleaning remains the problem of cleaning the inner surfaces of cautery forceps that have tips, which are closely approximated.
Another approach to cleaning electrocautery device tips involves the use of what is commonly called a scratch pad. This pad consists of a disposable rectangular roughened surface (approx. 2.5×2.5 cms.) that has a spongy underside and can be attached to surgical drapes via a self-adhesive backing. Such devices are available from Johnson & Johnson, Valleylab, etc. The marked limitation of these devices involves the inability to permit cleaning of the inner aspects of electrocautery forceps and the risk of puncture by needle tip devices that may then lead to contamination if the sterile operative drapes are pierced.
There are a number of devices described in the patent literature for cleaning surgical instruments. Perhaps most relevant is U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,357 entitled “Cleaning Device for Cauterizing Knives”. The Patent describes a device for cleaning cauterizing instruments such as forceps as well as knives. The forceps are placed in a cleaning unit which includes spaced, opposed abrasive strips supported by plastic pads. One embodiment, in particular, enables the simultaneous cleaning of both legs of a forceps set or the cleaning of a single blade of a knife. The device is intended to be secured by its frame with adhesive to a surgical towel or drape.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,693 entitled “Cleaner for Cauterizing Instruments”, describes a device to be mounted to a surgical towel or drape by pressure sensitize adhesive. It is possible to convert the device between a knife cleaning mode and a forceps cleaning mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,751 describes a surgical instrument polisher and wiper. It is intended for forceps as well as cautery blades.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,878 describes a tool cleaning device which includes twin parallel slots.
The following patents describe the general state of the art with regard to other medical implement cleaners, polishers, and sharpeners: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,667,079; 4,361,926; 4,547,923; 4,704,760; 4,752,983; 4,996,800; 5,016,401; 5,471,705; 5,477,581; 5,666,686; 5,778,480; 6,021,540; 6,367,110; 6,402,608 and U.S. Design Pat. D435,104.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,059,491 describes the general state of the art of a knife sharpener which includes a spring biased frame and which supports a pair of sharpening elements in a converging arrangement.
Lastly, the following patents all appear to describe the general state of the art with regard to knife sharpeners which may coincidently act as cleaners too: U.S. Pat. Nos. 162,415; 409,742; 732,463; 1,223,753 and 1,059,491.